Chronic wasting disease (CWD) and mad cow disease are two forms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Both are lethal neurological diseases; mad cow affects cows while CWD affects deer, elk and moose. BSE is caused by toxic and infectious proteins known as prions. The human disease variant of mad cow is known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob. Researchers have discovered a compelling link between the protein TDP-43 — which behaves like the toxic prions causing BSE — and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's disease. Read more...